Antibiotics in surgical treatment of acute abscesses

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Blick PW. Flowers MW. Marsden AK. Wilson DH. Ghoneim AT. x British Medical Journal. [JC:b4w] 281(6233):111-2, 1980 Jul 12. x A four-way, double-blind, prospective trial of treatment of abscesses by x incision, curettage, and primary closure with and without antibiotic cover x (clindamycin injection before operation or capsules after operation, or x both) was conducted. There was no appreciable difference in mean healing x time between the patients given both the antibiotic injection and the x antibiotic capsules and those given the injection and placebo capsules, x whereas healing times in those given the placebo injection and antibiotic x capsules or placebo only were appreciably longer. Four of the patients who x were not given the antibiotic injection developed bacteraemia; one patient x who was given the antibiotic injection also developed a bacteraemia, but x this was caused by clindamycin-resistant bacteria. These results show that x a single injection of an effective antibiotic before operation is x sufficient to protect the patient against bacteraemia and permit optimum x healing. x